Meet the man who’s bringing Guetta

Zak Biddu on why India is ready for top International live acts

He has Alicia Keys and Rihanna on his speed dial, has worked with the likes of The Black Eyed Peas, Janet Jackson and Mark Ronson and next week Zak Biddu is bringing David Guetta to perform live in India. We find out more:

Why did you decide to start promoting concerts in India now? I wanted the biggest acts in the world to have the chance to perform in India and for Indian music fans to see these acts live. India is such a beautiful country that has been starved of the best and most current performers from around the world. I was tired of seeing acts who were past their best playing in India, I wanted to take acts who were at their peak.

There have been a few high-profile last minute cancellations of concerts in India in the past year – why do these kinds of things happen? And what precautions are you taking with Eristoff Invasion? There are some unprofessional promoters in India, who do not pay enough attention to safety, production and licensing. It is not just about securing a performer, it is about providing a safe and memorable experience for the audience. I have produced over 200 concerts and not one has been cancelled at the last-minute, we deploy international production and security measures to ensure everything goes to plan.

What is the worst thing about being a concert promoter? Not knowing how an event will sell, it’s very unpredictable.

Who would you most like to bring to India? Eminem. One of my favourite live performers, he is so exciting.

What about taking Indian acts abroad – is that something you’re involved in? Yes, when there is an opportunity, we are looking at creating a small one-day event in London at the end of 2012 for Indian performers.

Can you imagine India running a large scale multi-day festival on the scale of Glastonbury or Coachella? It will take time and investment. Glastonbury started with 5,000 fans and it took thirty years to get to where it is now. You have to build your audience, your legacy and build a platform that artists want to perform on, it takes time and patience but it is possible.

The second edition of the Eristoff Invasion produced by UKNY Music (Zak Biddu’s company) and Only Much Louder presents David Guetta live in concert:9th March, HUDA Grounds, Delhi NCR 10th March, Amanora Park Town, Pune 11th March, Palace Grounds, Bangalore